Always give thanks to Father God for every person he brings into your life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 The Passion Translation

Honoring Gratefulness in Action

I am grateful. I treasure the days when I was able to speak to my Mom via the telephone. It was a joy to gain from her wisdom of many years in ministry. I was complaining to her about one of the ladies on the  women’s ministry team. What she said next floored me and left me thinking.

“You know that the Lord blesses you or afflicts you with people according to your need, right sweetheart?”

OUCH!

At first, I rejected this profound truth. Still, this translation says it well. Give thanks for every person God brings into your life.

Ten Ways to Multiply Gratefulness

Here are 10 questions that will clarify how to increase your gratefulness for difficult people in your life.

1. Are you telling a lot of people about how hard it is for you to deal with this person?
2. Does this person remind you of someone else in your past?
3. What is a similar experience that had a good ending?
4. How can you “reframe” the situation?
5. How can you step back to gain perspective?
6. What can this person teach you?
7. Can you give with no expectations in return?
8. Can you release them to their destiny in Christ Jesus?
9. How does this person bless you?
10. How will you use this experience in a story, blog or book?

Use your experiences wisely and learn from every single one of them.

This principle can transform your life because it allows you to see beyond the surface of what is going on and learn from every encounter.

Honor Keys

Honor the tough relationships as well as the warm, fuzzy ones. Some of my best lessons have been through tough times with those who challenged me.

Active Definition

Gratefulness is recognizing the benefits which God and others have provided in your life. You look for appropriate ways to express genuine appreciation.

Synonyms: appreciation, thankfulness, regard, recognition, tribute, responsiveness, honor,

Creative Wording

I am grateful for you. Having you in my life has taught me a lot about __________________________. In the beginning, I found that our relationship seemed difficult until I realized that you are in my life in God’s plan and for His purpose. I appreciate how you __________ when _______________. I am forever changed and honor your ________________.

This is day twelve of a 31 day writing challenge. For more inspiration on honoring those you love, click here.

Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, check out her Facebook page – The Power of Hope. Karen’s third book on hope – The Power of Hope for Caregivers: Honor the Ride will be released on 11.20.18.